Hot water mat for floor heating

ABSTRACT

A mat base  1   a  of a hot water mat  1  has a quadrilateral shape and is divided by slits  2  into base end portions  3  and  4  and base intermediate portions  5 . After heat transfer tape  8  is attached to each of the base intermediate portions  5 , a hot water pipe  10  is disposed on the entire mat base 1 a . A heat radiation sheet  13  is then attached on the entire top surface of the mat base  1   a . With this construction, the hot water matt  1  can be longitudinally rolled. Also, the thermal efficiency of the hot water mat  1  is improved since heat radiated from the hot water pipe  10 , disposed in the pipe grooves, is sufficiently transferred by the heat transfer tape  8  to the heat radiation sheet  13.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of Japanese Patent Application 2012-241145, filed Oct. 31, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hot water mats for floor heating for performing heating from floor surfaces by circulating hot water inside hot water pipes disposed meanderingly on top surfaces of the hot water mats laid on the floor surfaces and, in particular, to a hot water mat for floor heating that can be rolled longitudinally from its end and folded in a roll state in its entirety (rolled longitudinally with respect to a straight pipe portion of a hot water pipe) in order to facilitate storage, transfer, carriage into a room and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, a hot water mat for floor heating (hereinafter referred to as a “hot water mat”) is used when the size of the room is equal to four and a half tatami mats to six tatami mats, and two or four hot water mats are used and laid into the room when the size of the room is greater than that.

When using such a hot water mat in houses in particular, doors for the houses are narrow in many cases. Therefore, the hot water mat is structured to be able to be folded in half or in three to four, and after the hot water mat is carried into the room in a folded state, it is unfolded and laid into the room.

Known hot water mat folding methods for hot water mats of this type include Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-217919 (Patent Literature 1) in which a hot water mat can be folded in half at its center, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-289447 (Patent Literature 2) in which a plurality of hot water mats are adjacently arranged and connected to be folded freely, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-130705 (Patent Literature 3) in which a hot water mat can be folded in a roll state by using the function of longitudinal slits provided in a base panel of the hot water mat, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem

However, the folded portions in the above-described Patent Literatures 1 to 3 are provided in parallel with a straight pipe portion of a hot water pipe. This makes it difficult to downsize the folded hot water mat in a straight pipe direction of the hot water pipe.

The present invention is made in view of the above-described circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a hot water mat for floor heating that is capable of being downsized with this folding of the hot water mat being in the straight pipe direction of the hot water pipe, by structuring the hot water mat to be able to be folded into the roll state in a direction perpendicular to the straight pipe direction of the hot water pipe, and capable of improving thermal efficiency by transferring heat from a back side of the hot water pipe (inside a groove) to the side of a heat radiation sheet.

Solution to Problem

In order to achieve the above-described object, according to a hot water mat of a first aspect of the present invention, a mat base for forming the hot water mat in a quadrilateral shape is formed by a collection of thin base portions (or base pieces), the mat being divided by slits that are in parallel with opposing sides. The base portions include base end portions or pieces located at upper and lower ends and a plurality of base intermediate portions or pieces arranged successively between the base end portions. The base intermediate portions or pieces have straight pipe grooves at regular intervals formed in a direction crossing the base intermediate pieces. The base end portions or pieces have U-turn pipe grooves formed for connecting the straight pipe grooves of the base intermediate pieces. A heat transfer tape, in which U-shaped recessed portions are formed, at locations corresponding to the straight pipe grooves, is attached on a top surface of each of the base intermediate pieces. A hot water pipe is disposed in the pipe grooves formed in the mat base, and a heat radiation sheet is attached entirely on its top surface.

According to another aspect of the hot water mat for floor heating of the invention, the heat transfer tape and the heat radiation sheet are formed by an aluminum foil.

According to a further aspect of the hot water mat according to the invention, the slits to divide the mat to provide base intermediate portions or pieces and the base end portions or pieces are formed by cutting off the respective portions or pieces completely, or forming V-shaped or I-shaped slits formed to a certain depth from a back surface of the mat base to form the portions.

According to a further aspect of the hot water mat according to the invention, the hot water mat can be longitudinally rolled in a roll state from one of the base end pieces with the heat radiation sheet facing inward, by using hinge function of the slits and the heat radiation sheet.

According to still another aspect of the hot water mat according to the invention, the hot water pipe disposed in the hot water mat is formed by one circuit or two or more circuits.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention as described thus far, the hot water mat can be longitudinally rolled and folded in the roll state from its end in the straight pipe direction of the hot water pipe. Also, as the heat transfer tape is attached to each of the base intermediate portions, it is possible to efficiently transfer heat from the back side of the hot water pipe that is located inside the pipe grooves of the base intermediate portions to the heat radiation sheet side. This makes it possible to improve the thermal efficiency in the hot water mat that can be folded and rolled longitudinally.

Moreover, as the heat transfer tape is attached individually to each base intermediate portion, the heat transfer tapes can be manufactured and attached to the base intermediate portions with ease. Thus, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs of the hot water mat.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a hot water mat according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of base intermediate portions;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a heat transfer tape;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the heat transfer tape is attached to the base intermediate portion;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing how the base intermediate portions are folded;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the hot water mat is folded in a roll state from its end; and

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment in which a header is used to provide two circuits of hot water pipe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail based on FIG. 1 to FIG. 7.

A hot water mat 1 according to the present invention has the shape of a quadrilateral in a planar view, as shown in FIG. 1. A mat base 1 a of the hot water mat 1 is structured by a collection of oblong base portions, each formed by rigid polyurethane foam as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, base intermediate portions 5 are arranged to come in contact with each other between base, end portions 3 and 4 that are located at upper and lower ends, and the respective portions are divided by slits 2 provided between the upper and lower base end portions 3 and 4, and the base intermediate portions 5.

Incidentally, the slits 2 may be formed by cutting off the respective portions, or forming V-shaped or I-shaped slits on the back side of the mat base 1 a for dividing the respective portions.

On the top surfaces of the base intermediate portions 5, straight pipe grooves 7, each of which is formed in a U shape in cross section, are formed at regular intervals in parallel with each other, as shown in FIG. 3. In the upper and lower base end portions 3 and 4, U-turn pipe grooves 6 are formed to be connected to the straight pipe grooves 7 formed in the base intermediate portions 5. The U-turn pipe grooves 6 on the upper side and lower side of the mat base 1 a connect the straight pipe grooves 7 in the base intermediate portions 5, as shown in FIG. 1, thus forming one circuit of pipe groove according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a heat transfer tape 8 formed by a strip of aluminum foil. The heat transfer tape 8 has U-shaped recessed portions 9. The U-shaped recessed portions 9 are received in (sink in) the straight pipe grooves 7 in the top surface of the base 4 of the intermediate portion 5, as shown in FIG. 5. The heat transfer tape 8 is attached to the top surface of each of the base intermediate portions 5 using an adhesive.

The heat transfer tape 8 may be formed by a thin plate of metal with an excellent heat transfer property, such as stainless steel, tin foil or the like.

As in the drawings, a hot water pipe 10 is disposed in the above-described straight pipe grooves 7 and U-turn pipe grooves 6. An inlet 11 of the hot water pipe 10 is connected to a supply pipe (not shown) for supplying hot water transferred from a heat source machine (not shown) into the hot water pipe 10. The hot water passing through the hot water pipe 10 returns back to the heat source machine via a return pipe (not shown) connected to an outlet 12 of the hot water pipe 10.

As in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, a heat radiation sheet 13 formed by an aluminum foil strip is attached to the top surface of the mat base 1 a, after the pipe is disposed therein.

FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show an example of folding the hot water mat 1 in a roll state, according to the present invention. FIG. 6 shows a folded portion of the base intermediate portions 5 and the upper and lower base end portions 3 and 4. Although the respective portions are separated, the upper surfaces are connected by the heat radiation sheet 13, which functions as a hinge. By rolling the hot water mat 1 in the roll state from its end, as shown in FIG. 7, the water mat 1 can be rolled longitudinally.

Second embodiment

According to the second embodiment, two circuits of hot water pipe 10 are provided by using a header 14 on the hot water mat 1, as shown in FIG. 8. The basic structure, including the disposition of the hot water pipe 10, the slits 2, the heat transfer tape 8, the heat radiation sheet 13 and the like is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The basic structure, including the disposition of the hot water pipe 10, the slits 2, the heat transfer tape 8, the heat radiation sheet 13 and the like being the same as that of the first embodiment also applies to the case where three or more circuits of hot water pipe 10 are used.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

APPENDIX Reference Symbol List

-   1 Hot water mat -   1 a Mat base -   2 Slit -   3 Base end portion -   4 Base end portion -   5 Base intermediate portion -   6 U-turn pipe groove -   7 Straight pipe groove -   8 Heat transfer tape -   9 Recessed portion -   10 Hot water pipe -   11 Hot water inlet -   12 Hot water outlet -   13 Heat radiation sheet -   14 Header 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hot water mat for floor heating, the mat comprising: a mat base to form a hot water mat quadrilateral shape, the mat base being divided by slits to provide base portions, wherein the base portions include base end portions located at opposite ends and a plurality of base intermediate portions arranged successively between the base end portions, the base intermediate portions having straight pipe grooves at regular intervals formed in a direction crossing the base intermediate portions, the base end portions having U-turn pipe grooves formed for connecting the straight pipe grooves of the base intermediate portions; a heat transfer tape, with U-shaped recessed portions formed at locations corresponding to the straight pipe grooves, is attached on a top surface of each of the base intermediate portions; a hot water pipe disposed in the pipe grooves formed in the mat base; and a heat radiation sheet attached entirely on a top surface of the mat base.
 2. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer tape and the heat radiation sheet are formed by an aluminum foil.
 3. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 1, wherein the slits to divide the mat base to form the intermediate portions and the base end portions are formed by cutting off the respective portions completely, or forming V-shaped or I-shaped slits formed to a certain depth from a back surface of the mat base.
 4. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 1, wherein the hot water mat can be longitudinally rolled to provide a roll state from one of the base end portions with the heat radiation sheet facing inward, by using a hinge function provided by the slits and the heat radiation sheet.
 5. The hot water mat for floor heating according to claim 1, wherein the hot water pipe disposed in the hot water mat forms one circuit or two or more circuits.
 6. A heating mat comprising: a mat base with slits defining base portions comprising base end portions located at opposite ends and base intermediate portions arranged successively between the base end portions, the base intermediate portions having straight pipe grooves extending in a direction crossing the base intermediate portions and at least one of the base end portions having a U-turn pipe groove formed for connecting the straight pipe grooves of the base intermediate portions; a heat transfer tape attached on a top surface of each of the base intermediate portions and extending over and between adjacent straight pipe grooves and following a contour of the straight pipe grooves; a heating pipe disposed in the pipe grooves formed in the mat base; and a heat radiation sheet attached on a top surface of the mat base and extending over the hot water pipe and the heat transfer tape.
 7. A heating mat according to claim 6, wherein the heat transfer tape and the heat radiation sheet are formed of an aluminum foil.
 8. A heating mat according to claim 6, wherein the slits fully separate base portions or are extend to a certain depth spaced from a back surface of the mat base.
 9. A heating mat according to claim 6, wherein the slits and connections between base portions via the heat radiation sheet forms hinges whereby the mat may be rolled up to provide a rolled up state.
 10. A heating mat according to claim 6, wherein the heating pipe at least one fluid circuit. 